Red Squirrel Awareness Week highlights the urgent need for biodiversity conservation as habitat loss and grey squirrel competition drive red squirrel populations into decline. Effective woodland management and ecosystem restoration are crucial to their survival, offering hope for a much-loved species in the UK.
A Tale of Two Squirrels
In the UK, there are two main types of squirrels: red and grey.
Red squirrels are native, while grey squirrels were introduced from North America in the 19th century. The larger, more aggressive grey species has spread across much of the UK, outcompeting red squirrels for resources. This competition and disease spread by grey squirrels have driven red squirrel populations into decline, highlighting the urgent need for biodiversity conservation and woodland management.
The numbers are alarming. Around 140,000 red squirrels remain in the UK, compared to over 2.5 million grey squirrels. The introduction of grey squirrels has led to a devastating impact on red squirrel populations through both habitat loss and direct competition.
Squirrels remain active throughout the year. Grey squirrels favour high-calorie foods like acorns and walnuts, while red squirrels also rely on seeds from conifers. Both species eat various foods, including flowers, fungi, and bird eggs. Their ability to adapt to different food sources is impressive, but grey squirrels are highly resourceful, often stealing from the caches of red squirrels, further undermining their survival.
Squirrel Habitats: Woodlands Under Threat
Both red and grey squirrels depend on woodlands for survival. Oak, beech, hazel, and sweet chestnut trees are ideal habitats, providing vital food and nesting sites for their survival. Protecting and restoring these broadleaf woodlands is essential for the red squirrels and the wider goal of ecosystem restoration. However, grey squirrels pose challenges for woodland management, as their bark-stripping behaviour can damage trees, reducing the health of these habitats and impeding efforts to create biodiverse environments.
Squirrels and Biodiversity: Their Role in Ecosystem Restoration
Squirrels play a role in promoting biodiversity. During winter, they hoard nuts and seeds, and many of these caches go unfound, which aids in woodland regeneration. These forgotten seeds grow into new trees, supporting ecosystem restoration and contributing to healthier woodlands. However, grey squirrels’ destructive habits, particularly their bark-stripping, can hinder woodland management and biodiversity conservation efforts, as damaged trees reduce the overall health of forest ecosystems.
The Red Squirrel’s Plight: How Biodiversity Conservation Can Help
Over the past century and a half, red squirrels in England have experienced a sharp decline, with their numbers now critically low. They survive in only a few areas, mainly in Scotland, where around 75% of the UK’s remaining red squirrels reside. The loss of their natural habitat and competition from grey squirrels have pushed them to the edge of extinction. This decline underscores the importance of preserving and restoring woodland habitats to protect biodiversity.
Grey squirrels, introduced from North America, have been the red squirrel’s greatest threat. They have decimated red populations across the UK by dominating food sources and spreading the squirrel pox virus (fatal to red squirrels). Habitat loss only amplifies this threat, as fragmentation of woodlands limits the space available for red squirrels to thrive.
The ongoing loss and fragmentation of both coniferous and broadleaf woodlands continue to degrade the natural habitats that red squirrels rely on. Although conifer plantations have expanded in some areas, many are made up of non-native tree species, which do not provide the rich biodiversity necessary to sustain the delicate balance of predators and prey, putting additional pressure on red squirrel populations.
Protecting red squirrels requires a multi-faceted approach, including habitat restoration, biodiversity conservation, and woodland management. Replanting native broadleaf trees, managing grey squirrel populations, and restoring fragmented habitats can provide red squirrels the space and resources to survive. We can give these endangered animals a fighting chance by engaging in local conservation efforts and supporting initiatives that aim to restore ecosystems.
To sum up
The red squirrel’s decline is a reminder of the far-reaching effects of habitat loss and unchecked competition from invasive species. Restoring natural woodlands, promoting ecosystem restoration, and managing grey squirrel populations are vital to preserving biodiversity.
Sources
https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/wildlife/squirrels
https://www.charteredforesters.org/new-action-plan-to-save-englands-red-squirrels
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/content/nhmwww/en/home/discover/uk-squirrel-behaviour-what-when-and-why.html
Help Restore Habitats and Protect the Red Squirrel with Your Donation
Donate to Protect Earth to help us purchase degraded land and transform it into thriving habitats for native species like the red squirrel. These once-abundant creatures face a steep decline due to habitat loss and competition from grey squirrels. Together, we can protect biodiversity by replanting native broadleaf trees, revitalising ecosystems, and creating spaces where wildlife can thrive. Your donation makes a real difference, helping to restore habitats and contribute to a greener, healthier future.